Category: Mobile Tech

Amazon Unveils Two Kindle Fire HD Tablets

Amazon has just unveiled three new Kindle Fire tablets — two HD models and one SD model. On the high end is the Kindle Fire HD, pictured above. This 8.9-inch slate features a 1920 x 1200 display (254 pixels per inch), a TI OMAP 4470 processor, 16GB of storage, stereo speakers, and a front-facing camera. It will be available in WiFi-only and 4G LTE models, respectively priced at $299 and $499. The LTE model has a $49.99 annual data plan with a monthly 250MB data cap. The Kindle Fire HD will be available on November 20, 2012.

A smaller Kindle Fire HD with a seven-inch screen will be available on September 14, 2012 for $199. It features the same internal components as its larger sibling, but sports a 1,280 x 800 resolution (215 pixels per inch). The seven-inch model is pictured below.

The replacement to last year’s Kindle Fire will carry the name of…wait for it…the Kindle Fire. Let’s just call it the Kindle Fire SD. It has twice as much RAM as the original and nearly twice the processing power. The real kicker is the $159 price, which will surely attract lots of casual customers. The new Kindle Fire ships on September 14, 2012.

These products totally aren’t for me due to the limitations of the highly customized version of Android they use and the shortcomings of the Amazon App Store, but I can see how millions of people would be interested in them. The price of the new Kindle Fire is just huge. $159 is such a low barrier of entry to tablet computing. The price point will snag budget shoppers, those that are on the fence about tablets, and people that want a cheap, new gadget. It also makes life harder for Google’s excellent Nexus 7.

The data plan for the Kindle Fire HD LTE model is also huge. $49.99 a year for LTE access is brilliant. 250MB per month is not enough data for people like you and me, but it should be just fine for most Kindle Fire HD customers. It’s also great for tech nerds that rarely stray from WiFi, but want the option to connect when they do. Amazon must be drooling at the prospect of customers having a portable 24/7 gateway to its digital offerings, ergo the crazy-low price for LTE connectivity.

Tablet computing is just getting bigger and bigger. Products like the Kindle Fire HD and the new Kindle Fire will just accelerate the popularity of tablets. Although I personally have no interest in buying one of Amazon’s new tablets, it’s easy to see that they’ll be successful. Amazon has done a great job at combing affordable hardware and an accessible software experience. They’re going to kill with the 2012 Kindle Fires.

What do you think of the Kindle Fire HD and the new Kindle Fire? Any of you interested in picking one up? If so, which one and why?

Amazon Adds Epix to Prime Instant Video

Amazon has announced that it has inked a deal with Epix to more than double the amount of choices on Prime Instant Video. The streaming-video service is part of Amazon Prime, which gives customers free two-day shipping and reduced rates on express shipping. The videos are available for viewing on PCs, videogame consoles, mobile phones, and tablets. Epix’s studio partners include Paramount Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, and Lionsgate. Confirmed additions include The Avengers, The Hunger Games, and Transformers Dark of the Moon. Here’s a clip from the press release:

This agreement between Amazon and EPIX will add new releases such as The Avengers, Iron Man 2, The Hunger Games, Transformers Dark of the Moon, Thor and Rango as well as popular favorites such as Kick Ass, Paranormal Activity 2, True Grit, The Lincoln Lawyer, and Justin Bieber Never Say Never. EPIX also brings original programming including comedy specials and concerts such as Kevin Smith: Burn in Hell and Usher: Live from London.

It’s awesome to see Amazon beefing up the content for Prime Instant Video. I’ve been a Prime member since the program’s inception, which was before streaming movies and television were offered, so the video content was always the cherry on top of the sweet shipping savings. The video component of Prime started off as lame sauce, but now it’s a viable alternative to streaming competitors Hulu and Netflix.

How do you feel about these additions to Prime Instant Video? Are you more likely to subscribe to Prime

Razer BlackShark Now With 100% More Razer

Remember that Razer BlackShark Battlefield 3 headset I reviewed earlier in the month? It will be available in September in the traditional Razer green and black colors. It’s the same cool-looking headset with helicopter-headset looks and high-quality materials, but without the Battlefield 3 branding and the orange color scheme. It will retail for $119.99, which is $10 lower than the original.

I love the looks, construction, and comfort of the BlackShark. The sound response is great for games and action movies, but might be too bass heavy for certain types of music and movies. While I’m a fan of the orange color scheme, the black and green looks pretty sweet and is distinctly Razer.

Any of you interested in picking up the Razer BlackShark gaming headset in green?

No Date For Verizon Galaxy Nexus Jelly Bean Update

I love my Samsung Galaxy Nexus. While the specs aren’t cutting edge, it’s a great phone that runs the latest version of Google Android (Jelly Bean)…at least, that’s what my GSM Nexus does. My CDMA Nexus on Verizon is a different story. It’s still running Ice Cream Sandwich. While ICS is much better than its predecessor, once you’ve used Jelly Bean, it’s hard to go back. When I bought my CDMA Nexus back in December, I was under the impression that it would get fast updates just like the Nexus One and Nexus S did. That’s not the case with the Verizon Nexus. The company has been handling updates in a pathetically slow manner and it doesn’t look like things are going to get better any time soon. A Verizon CSR just emailed me the following:

I scoured our database for ANY sort of information I could shoot your way, but I hate to say, there is no tentative date for the Jelly Bean update. This truly is not the answer I ever prefer to give as it doesn’t provide much confidence in our equipment. I can say we have continually contacted the Equipment Compliance team which is an amalgam of Verizon Wireless and Google technicians to at least provide a rough date. However, they are still not able to indicate anything concrete at the moment.

Many times the hold up for any software update comes from the testing on the devices. GSM (for ex/ AT&T) phones operate differently than CDMA (Verizon Wireless, Sprint) phones and I’ve found historically that CDMA phones tend to take longer to test. Asides from that I see no other reason for a delay. Again, I’m terribly sorry this is still happening, and rest assured I have used your verbatim in the latest feedback to the Equipment Compliance team. In the meantime, I thank you for your patience in response to your email, and I hope you have a great rest of your day!

The pickle is that Verizon’s LTE coverage is awesome. The speeds and latency are fantastic. I don’t want to give that up on my primary line. Having said that, I’m annoyed enough at Verizon that I’m hoping that other companies will have more robust LTE offerings when my contract is up in 2013. Perhaps I was being naive, but I feel deceived by Verizon. Its version of the Galaxy Nexus is great, but it’s not really a Nexus phone…and it doesn’t look like it will be treated like a real Nexus phone any time soon.

FAA Seeking Comments on In-Flight Portable Electronics Use

You know that stupid rule that forces you to turn off your iPad, Vita, or 3DS during the first and last ten minutes of a flight? The FAA is reexamining that rule and seeking policy-shaping comments. That’s where you come in! If you’re convinced that catching a Pokemon or reading an e-book has no impact whatsoever on takeoff or landing then let the FAA know. There are several ways you can do this:

• Email: Submit your comments via email to PEDcomment@faa.gov.
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and follow the online instructions for sending your comments electronically.
• Mail: Send comments to Docket Operations, M-30; U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, Room W12-140, West Building Ground Floor, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
• Hand Delivery or Courier: Take comments to Docket Operations in Room W12-140 of the West Building Ground Floor at 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
• Fax: Fax comments to Docket Operations at 202-493-2251.

So bust out your fax machines and comment away! Or, more likely, send the FAA a polite email stating your case. Yes, safety is the highest priority, but I’ve yet to see a study that shows that several people using an iPad on an airplane will interfere with its ability to land at an airport.

Source

Coffee Talk #512: Your Thoughts on Apple vs. Samsung

Now that we’ve all had a weekend to think about it, I wanted to get your take on the Apple vs. Samsung verdict. If you haven’t been keeping score at home, Samsung got its ass kicked and will have to pay Apple more than $1-billion in damages. The jury found that Samsung infringed on several of Apple’s software and design patents. While the software patents are pretty specific, the design patents are vague enough that it’s somewhat surprising that Samsung lost so decisively. Some people believe this is all the result of a broken patent system. Others believe that Apple was just protecting its IP rights. Some pundits feel that the decision will stifle innovation in mobile tech (unless the innovators want to shell out money to Apple). What say you?!?

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, the stupendous trade between the Dodgers and the Red Sox, McKayla Maroney being totally hot (in certain states only), or the great Neil Armstrong, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Now that we’ve all had a weekend to think about it, I wanted to get your take on the Apple vs. Samsung verdict. If you haven’t been keeping score at home, Samsung got its ass kicked and will have to pay Apple more than $1-billion in damages. The jury found that Samsung infringed on several of Apple’s software and design patents. While the software patents are pretty specific, the design patents are vague enough that it’s somewhat surprising that Samsung lost so decisively. Some people believe this is all the result of a broken patent system. Others believe that Apple was just protecting its IP rights. Some pundits feel that the decision will stifle innovation in mobile tech (unless the innovators want to shell out money to Apple). What say you?!?

As for me, after a weekend of deliberation I’ve come to the conclusion that this is all stupid. The trial was an enormous waste of money. Design patents are shockingly dumb. The jury failed. Samsung’s lawyers failed harder.

The decision was fantastic for Apple and there are several instances where I believe that the company was in the right. That said, I believe that it also got several gift decisions (like Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr.) and that the verdict is bad for mobile tech. The ruling makes it harder and/or more expensive for companies to compete with Apple, which will result in consumers having less choices.

Anyway, that’s my take. Now it’s your turn! What are your thoughts on the Apple vs. Samsung verdict?

Coffee Talk 511: Smartphones, the Ultimate Disruptor?!?

The evolution of smartphones has screwed a number of businesses. Less people are buying watches. Point-and-shoot camera sales are down. Many pundits have predicted that handheld consoles are doomed. A big reason why the three aforementioned industries have taken a hit is because of smartphones. They’re just fantastic and versatile devices. Have you ever seen a consumer electronics device impact so many other businesses?

Remember when tech nerds would tote around a…

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Nicky Minaj possibly judging American Idol 2013, preparing for fantasy football, or getting over AJ Lee, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

The evolution of smartphones has screwed a number of businesses. Less people are buying watches. Point-and-shoot camera sales are down. Many pundits have predicted that handheld consoles are doomed. A big reason why the three aforementioned industries have taken a hit is because of smartphones. They’re just fantastic and versatile devices. Have you ever seen a consumer electronics device impact so many other businesses?

Remember when tech nerds would tote around a phone, a camera, and a portable gaming system? These days, many people are completely satisfied with an iPhone or an Android phone being the one device to rule them all. Certainly you can snap better pictures with a Sony Nex-5N and can have deeper gaming experiences on a Nintendo 3DS, but for most people, smartphone photos and games are perfectly fine.

The crazy part is that smartphone capabilities are moving at a ridiculous pace. Think about the improvements in mobile-phone cameras over the last two years. Look at the awesome advancements in mobile graphics. Yeah, there are some slick point-and-shoot cameras coming up and today’s portable consoles are better than ever, but the improvements in those devices are being outpaced by their smartphone counterparts. Like The Carpenters said, “We’ve only just begun.”

Have you ever seen a consumer electronics device disrupt so many competitors? Are smartphones the ultimate disruptor? Leave your thoughts in the comments section (please!).

GameKlip Brings DualShock 3 to Android Phones

Ever wish you could use a traditional console controller with your Android phone? Now you can, thanks to the GameKlip. This accessory allows you to use a PlayStation DualShock 3 controller with select Android phones. A wireless version is available for $15, while the wired version costs $23. Currently supported phones include:

  • HTC One X
  • HTC Evo 4G LTE
  • Samsung Galaxy S III
  • Samsung Galaxy S II
  • Samsung Galaxy Note
  • Samsung Galaxy Nexus

The GameKlip is the creation of Ryan French, who makes and sells these accessories out of Seattle, WA. It’s cool that one guy is tackling an obvious problem with an obvious solution (for some mobile phone users, anyway). French isn’t stopping with this model of the GameKlip. He plans on releasing a variant that supports the Xbox 360 controller, as well as a model designed for tablets.

Any of you interested in picking up the GameKlip?

Razer BlackShark Review (Video)

Kindly check out this video review of the Razer BlackShark Battlefield 3 gaming headset. This baby features enhanced bass response and a unique aviator style. As RPadholic Iceman pointed out, the BlackShark looks very similar to David Clark headsets used by many helicopter pilots. Some of you will remember this headset from this E3 2012 Razer booth tour. You can see the full specs here.

Overall, I loved the BlackShark’s looks and was impressed by its comfort level. However, there could be some audio issues depending on if you use your headset for certain genres of music and certain types of movies. Also, the price for this stereo headset is up there with competing 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound models.

Check out the review and let me know what you think of the Razer BlackShark (please!).